ggio's
half-sister, Elizabeth Sforza, and would be doubly precious to her as
his work and because of its rare excellence.[58] By a strange fate, the
fragments of this precious clavichord, which was so highly esteemed in
its day, have of late years found their way to the ancient palace of the
dukes of Ferrara in Venice. The instrument which the gifted Pavian made
for Beatrice, inscribed with the Greek and Latin mottoes chosen by
Lorenzo, may still be seen under the roof of her father's old house, in
those halls where the young duchess once spent that joyous May-time long
ago.

Another incident which took place at Milan during Isabella's visit, and
could not fail to inspire her with the keenest interest, was the arrival
of a marble Leda and a number of other antiques that were sent to the
duke from Rome, by the goldsmith Caradosso. After the flight of Piero
de' Medici and the revolution which had taken place in Florence,
Lodovico sent this well-known connoisseur to try and acquire some of the
priceless marbles or gems from the Magnificent Lorenzo's collection. But
the Florentine magistrates wisely declined to part from these objects of
art, which were now the property of the nation, and after Christmas
Caradosso went on to Rome. He arrived there to find the French army in
possession of the city and everything in the greatest confusion, but in
the end succeeded in securing several valuable antiques. The cardinals,
to whom Caradosso obtained introductions through Ascanio Sforza, were
glad to ingratiate themselves with the powerful Duke of Milan at this
critical moment, and the artist was able to inform his master that
Cardinal di Monreale had given him a marble Leda--a really good antique,
though some limbs of it were missing--and that other prelates had made
him liberal offers.

"The Cardinal of Parma asked me yesterday what brought me to Rome. I
told him I had come, by your Excellency's desire, to see if I could find
any beautiful works in bronze or marble that were to be had for gold.
Monsignore asked me if you really cared for these things. I replied,
'Yes, undoubtedly.' Upon which the Most Reverend informed me that he had
an antique statue, and begged me to come and see if I thought that you
would like it, as if so, he should be glad to send it as a present to
your Excellency. I have seen it, and it is decidedly good.... Monsignore
di Sanseverino has promised to show me some fine things, and I hear that
Monsignore Co